What in the World? A day in the Life of Nurse Anesthetists in Low Income Countries (1 Class A CE)

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are used to practicing with the latest equipment, medications and highly educated members of the perioperative team. In contrast, nurse anesthetists in low-income countries frequently lack even the most basic of equipment, including pulse oximetry, CO2 capnography, inhalational agents, intravenous medications and anesthesia machines. To complicate matters even more, halothane production was stopped in early 2024. It is the only inhalational agent available in many low resource settings and anesthesia providers were not even aware its production was stopped. This session will review the global need for nurse anesthetists, manpower, the current state of practice in low-income countries. The session highlight will come as participants walk in the shoes of a day in the life of a nurse anesthetist in a low-income country - opening their eyes to real world scenarios of provision of anesthesia care with very little access to advanced technology, medications or assistance. We will open one's eyes to surgical care and life in a 3rd world country with unimaginable challenges in patient care. Participants from high income countries will be counting their blessings at the conclusion of this presentation.